


Love and Hope

by buzzbuzz34



Series: Azu Week 2020 [2]
Category: Rusty Quill Gaming (Podcast)
Genre: Basically a chat about gods, Gen, Religion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-05
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:22:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26842810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buzzbuzz34/pseuds/buzzbuzz34
Summary: While in quarantine in Japan, Azu and Zolf have a chat about what belief means to them.
Relationships: Azu & Zolf Smith
Series: Azu Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1956034
Comments: 8
Kudos: 16
Collections: Azu Week 2020





	Love and Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Day 2 of Azu Week 2020! Today's prompt was Religious love; Azu’s faith.

“Need a hand?” Azu asked as she poked her head into the kitchen. 

Zolf was aggressively stirring something, then looked up at her, shrugged, said, “Sure,” and continued stirring.

Azu didn’t want to interrupt the one thing that the dwarf seemed to enjoy during their inn-wide quarantine, but she was eager to lend a hand if he needed it. Also, she was bored. The least she could do was help cook for the hordes of inhabitants stuck inside the inn.

She started cutting up some vegetables while Zolf poured the dough from the bowl and began to knead it. They carried on their work in silence, a silence that was perhaps tense and wavering, but not altogether unfriendly. 

After a while, though, Azu couldn’t keep the wondering quiet any longer.

“Zolf, may I ask you a question?”

He glanced over at her, from where he kneaded another round of dough. He was preparing dozens of loaves for the coming days' meals. 

“I might not answer, but you can ask.”

“I heard that you used to be a follower of Poseidon. Why did you stop?”

Zolf sighed and the kneading paused. “You’re not going to try and convert me to Aphrodite or anything, are you?”

“What, no!” Azu cried. “That’s your choice, I’m not going to try and force it on you. I just… I’m curious.”

“Yeah, alright. Truth is, I really only followed Poseidon because his followers saved my life, and I felt indebted to _them_ , not so much to _him_. And I was a sailor for several years before that, so it all kind of went hand in hand. But… I was never a very good follower,” he added, a single, breathy chuckle escaping his lips. He carried on kneading while he continued, “And then I watched a horrible amalgamation of brains and technology and evil decide to try and become a god and realized that even divinity isn’t quite as absolute as we want to give it credit for.”

Azu nodded as he spoke. “That makes sense.”

“Does it? I expected you to criticize me.”

“No, no, I understand. I think it’s easier for me to believe in Aphrodite, because she embodies love, and that’s already an innate part of me. I would be working as a healer in some form or another even without her; she just enables me to do more, to reach farther. You were asked to change yourself in order to serve Poseidon, and you never really felt his call because it wasn’t in you. But Aphrodite, her love, her passion, those were already a part of me. 

“I think that everyone needs to believe in something, it just doesn’t have to be a god. You believe in hope, in the idea of a better world. I believe in love, and that just happens to align with a god who can help me, and in turn I can help her, and help as many people along the way as possible.”

It was Zolf’s turn to nod. “Yeah, I get that too. Maybe the divine isn’t about some otherworldly power, but about what we do and believe here and now?”

“Maybe?” Azu shrugged and turned back to her vegetable cutting. “I love Aphrodite and I’m grateful she still has faith in me, after everything… But even without her I would love and care for everyone. To serve her, though… I think it makes my love stronger. But that’s not for everyone.”

Zolf met Azu’s gaze for a moment, and they each smiled slightly, then said nothing more and continued with their cooking, safe in the understanding that belief grounded them, whether in worship of divine or a feeling in their heart. And perhaps those beliefs were more similar than they originally thought. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!! I wasn't quite sure about my piece for today, so it's kind of short, and I hope it all makes sense.
> 
> Anyway, you can find more amazing Azu goodness in this collection and at azuweek.tumblr.com!
> 
> Check out more of my writing at kellanswritingblog.tumblr.com, or feel free to come chat on my personal, celsidebottom.tumblr.com <3


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